Inside Huang’s World – food, cultural identity and the art of hosting

As he prepares to launch his sophomore series of Huang’s World on Viceland, Eddie Huang became our latest chef to host a Playlist Potluck for Sonos. No stranger to our screens already, Eddie’s already broken boundaries with his ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and looks to take his latest show to the next level from June 28th.

Huang’s World sees Eddie travel the globe to “explore identity using food as an equalizer”. The badboy chef used his Playlist Potluck dinner in New York to premiere the first episode for an intimate gathering of friends all sound-tracked to a collaborative playlist and a trademark menu, Huang-style.

We caught up with Eddie to talk food, family and listening habits across the globe…

Thanks for hosting your Playlist Potluck, Eddie. What does the Potluck tradition mean to you?

A Potluck was always like food red carpet to me. My family is very competitive about cooking and we were keenly aware of who brought what, who cooked it best, etc. My Mom had this one cold noodle dish where she made the infused oils herself. It always looked very humble like she wasn’t even trying to compete but there was a lot of kung fu to the dish whether it was the chilli oil, garlic oil, or the chicken stock that she snuck into it.

Congrats on the new series of Huang’s World. If it’s about understanding cultural identity through food, do you think music has a similar role to play in defining who we are and how we relate to the world?

Absolutely. Music is probably the most unifying culture in the world today. I always say that traveling abroad the three things every one can understand are: food, music, and sex. Plus they go together pretty well unless somebody has IBS.

What were you listening to while making this latest series of Huang’s World? Do you think it influenced the creative process in any way?

Yeah, every episode we had songs we played over and over in the car. I write to music as well. I pick a song and play it for 6 to 8 hours or however long I’m writing so I can stay in the zone. Every city we listened to something different. I remember in Peru we randomly listened to a lot of Frankie Vallie, then in Cape Cod at the Pride Parade the float behind us kept banging “Cum on Feel the Noize” over and over so then we played it the next three days too. Kendrick dropped the IV while we were in Dubai so I liked that and our show runner, David Laven, plays as much Drake as possible when I’m not in the van.

Your Playlist Potluck saw your closest friends experience the first episode of the new series together. What was it like watching your work in a social setting?

It’s really fulfilling to watch your friends and family connect with something you’ve worked so long on and experienced first hand. I take a lot of chances in the show, I reveal a lot of myself, and always speak my mind. I’m confident in what we’re doing in the field, but before I show it to people there is a second where I don’t want to be in the room.

In the new series you visit Sicily, Jamaica, Istanbul and Taiwan – what do you notice about the relationship between music, food and the art of hosting there?

Hosting is different everywhere. Each country, city, or borough has its own customs, but what I’ve realized is that they all come from a common intention: to do the right thing. The countries and cities I’ve enjoyed the most are tight knit, dense, and have a genuine sense of community that they are trying to preserve through their customs. The cities I’m critical of are the ones that over value the individual, capitalism, and an every man for himself attitude. Nobody does anything alone and the communities that remember are in the best position going forward. It takes a village.

What was the relationship like between food and music as you were growing up? How has that changed over time?

I mean looking at old photos it seems like I was eating at a speed of about 168 beats per minute. I’ve been watching my health the last 3 years and drastically changed my diet the last 6 months so I’d say I’m eating at about 88 beats per minute and still enjoy it just as much. If you eat less, you can eat better. I’m no longer a human trashcan.

What’s home life like these days? How would you say listening out loud at home impacts the way you live, work and feel?

I watch a movie every night and listen to music to write, so sound as a tactile thing is important. You want to actually feel the sound on your skin and in your head.